Marquette took a 39-23 lead into the break thanks to Samford's first half struggles. The Bulldogs went 1-of-7 from 3-point range and made 34.6 percent of their field goal attempts. The Golden Eagles shot 44 percent from the floor and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Both teams improved in the second period but Marquette was able to hold on for the win. Samford shot 50 percent from the field but missed all five 3-point attempts. Marquette made 54.6 percent of its field goal tries.

The Golden Eagles had the far superior effort off the bench as their reserves outscored the Bulldogs' bench 50-12. Marquette also capitalized on Samford's mistakes by owning a 24-11 edge in points off turnovers.